A Knight at Crossroads. In many Russian folk-tales there is such an episode when a traveling vityaz (knight) at the crossroads meets a rock with a not-very-much-inspiring choice: If you go to the right – you'll loose your horse;If you go to the left – you'll loose your life;If you go forwards – you'll loose both…Or a variation of these three. See: Victor Vasnetsov. A Knight at the Crossroads.